Power distribution systems typically include any number of various devices that act to ensure the safe and efficient distribution of electrical power. Typically, power distribution systems include distribution feeders originating in power distribution substations and leading to the source of supply for end customers of an electrical supply utility or agency. Additionally, power distribution systems may include any number of switches, transformers, breakers, line reclosers, etc. To further improve upon power distribution efficiency, reduce system downtime, and to provide information regarding outages and/or malfunctions within the power distribution system, many modern power distribution systems employ “smart” devices that can be monitored and/or controlled from a remote location. Modern power distribution systems therefore allow devices to be operated and maintained with minimal labor and human supervision.
Methods have been developed for monitoring devices and/or circuits within a power distribution system by communicating information sensed at strategic points to one or more monitoring entities. This information often takes the form of one or more status events reported from a particular device, which could include various degrees of diagnostic information. Service personnel can then use this information to locate and isolate problems within the power distribution system.
But the present means in which the status events are communicated to the one or more monitoring entities and made available to service personnel is not without issues. First, the status events obtained from power distribution system devices are often accessed via an arduous process of downloading log files from each power distribution system device one at a time, which prevents system personnel from easily viewing information from multiple devices concurrently. Second, the status events obtained from power distribution system devices are not easily organized in a chronological way, which prevents system personnel from easily juxtaposing status events with seasonal or other anomalous events that can be readily identified by a known date and time.